


Have I always looked this way?

by Konoline



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, No Dialogue, Post 4 October but Shinji's fate is left unclear, implied Minako/Yukari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-30 08:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8525347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konoline/pseuds/Konoline
Summary: Minako's friends help her in ways they don't know





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was a short self indulgent thing I wrote at 6am. It has no dialogue but I feel like that works well here.  
> It's not very good but I like it I guess.
> 
> The title is from the song 'have i always looked this way' by [bulldog eyes.](http://bulldogeyes.bandcamp.com)

Saturday nights in the bathroom were always the busiest somehow. Yukari had just turned off the shower and was putting on a more comfortable outfit, Fuuka was humming along to a song on her MP3. Minako couldn't tell what she was doing, nor did she recognize the song. It was almost a ritual for the three to sit here to talk, but all of them were quiet now. Expected, but unpleasant nonetheless.

Minako focused her attention on the mirror. She looked tired, her eyes dull and the bags under her eyes obvious. She needed to sleep more but she found herself unable to sleep, every sound outside the dorm kept her awake nowadays. She sighed, running a finger over a scar between her eyes. It was small, yet right in the middle of her face. When someone asked she said it happened when she fell. She really got it when the Strength shadow caught her in a careless swing of her weapon.

The same night as the disaster... Minako frowned, closed her eyes for a second, willing herself to think of something... Anything but that night... She failed and stared back at her reflection. It felt like it was mocking her for moment. She blinked. Her reflection was about to cry too. She placed her hand over it, she'd clean off the fingerprints later.

She looked away from the mirror and noticed Fuuka had dissapeared. Yukari was watching her, concern showing on her face. She looked just as exhausted as she did, Minako just noticed it for the first time. Minako cast her eyes to the ground, unable to look her in the face, then turned and exited the room. It hadn't been the first time that Yukari saw her like this. 

The hallway was deserted. Aigis wasn't waiting in the mini-lounge on the girls floor. Koromaru didn't jump down from the chairs he wasn't allowed to sit on to give her a ball. Fuuka wasn't on her laptop, looking up to greet her with a smile. There was just the same haunting silence that had been there for the past two weeks. Minako stood still between the room and the staircase.

Voices came from downstairs. Tonight would have been a perfect night to conquer Tartarus. Minako wasn't sure if she wanted to join them, so she stood. The door closed behind her, Yukari coughed softly. Minako turned to face her. Neither of them knew what to say. Minako managed to smile faintly and walked down the stairs. Yukari followed. Somewhere between the fourteenth and sixteenth step their hands got a hold of each other.

 

* * *

 

Her team-mates were like an anchor to Minako, when she needed them they were always there. Junpei offered her some chips, Koromaru would snuggle against her leg (Mitsuru would have Minako's head if she caught her letting him on the couch) when she sat down. Yukari sat close to her, and Fuuka would watch videos with her until the Dark Hour flickered the screen off. There was little difference tonight, Minako took her usual seat next to Junpei. He was playing with Koromaru, who tried to catch the ball Junpei and Ken kept rolling past him. Fuuka sat at the table, fast tapping noises came from that direction. Minako guessed she was busy.

Mitsuru and Akihiko were having a conversation with Aigis. Minako couldn't tell any of their emotions from this distance. Yukari had sat down next to her and turned on the TV, there was some new game show playing. Minako quietly pressed herself closer, Yukari still smelled like her shampoo. Flowery, but not unpleasantly so. Minako didn't need to see Yukari's face to tell she was rolling her eyes, Minako really loved her. 

The TV had seen better days since SEES started using it. Junpei would often set up party games on a console, and since then the TV had to weather punches, controllers and sometimes food. Minako was a sore loser. The screen was still fine, but the frame had gotten a variety of bumps. One time a shadow had snuck into the building and Aigis had almost thrown it into the poor object. Whatever was thrown at it, it still worked almost perfectly. Sometimes a line of technicolor rainbow would sneak into the corner, or it was part of the show. 

No one started a conversation with her, but that was fine. Just being in the same room as the rest was what she needed.

 

* * *

 

Minako didn't know when she fell asleep, she could still remember a contestant of the show's face turning to one of shock as he fell face first into an inflatable pool of mud. It was so funny everyone couldn't stop laughing. Minako couldn't remember the exact premise of the show, but the losers had to do some physical challenge to earn back points. Wasn't there a box of spiders too at some point? It was funny enough for the third years and Aigis to join them. Fuuka had already moved her laptop with her to one of the lounge chairs.

Everyone was still there, a candle was the sole light in the room. Ken and Koromaru were observing the others as they played several rounds of poker in the kitchen. Minako knew Mitsuru would win, she always won. Very rarely Shinjiro played as well, a bittersweet memory. He might not be here, but in their memories he must be. She'd never know for sure, but she also felt like this is what he wanted to protect that night.

Yukari had left Minako in a comfortable position when she left the couch to play with the others. A couple of vests served as a makeshift blanket. Minako gently hung them all over an arm of the couch. Koromaru barked in greeting, the others smiled and invited her to join. Before the lights came back on, Minako and Junpei has lost all their chips to Mitsuru.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I say unclear in the tags but I wrote this in a verse where he doesn't die. It's too depressing the other way ^^;


End file.
